The Medical Administrative Assistant is located within the Health Administration Service Line of the Tomah VA Medical Center. The Medical Administrative Assistant (MAA) maintains continuity of functions and provides medical administrative support to clinical personnel during other than normal tours of duty and is responsible for carrying out defined management objectives, supporting the decisions of management in performing assigned duties, and provides limited technical guidance to staff.

Duties

The Medical Administrative Assistant (MAA) serves in a developmental capacity at the GS-6 grade level. Key functions will be similar to those described at the full performance level of the target position. However, during the developmental assignment, full performance range and level of selected functions will not be completely delegated to the employee until proper orientation and training have been completed and the incumbent has demonstrated the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to accomplish the work at the full performance level. Advancement to the full performance level will be recommended only after it has been determined that the incumbent meets all regulatory and statutory requirements, is satisfactorily progressing in the training, is successfully performing the currently assigned range of duties as outlined in the target position Medical Administrative Assistant, GS-303-7; position description 4118A Major duties: - Receives personal and telephone contacts regarding admission procedures and/or other VA benefits. - Coordinates matters such as emergency admissions, release of information, use of government and/or contract services, and providing information to inquiries. - Consults with patient and reviews documents in their medical and administrative records. - Coordinates contacts whether personal, telephonic, or telegraphic, and reports unusual incidents (e.g. patient abuse, suicide, threats or personal harm, etc.) - Works closely with both administrative and clinical staff to monitor the needs of patients. - Initiate patient search procedures in the incident of a missing patient. - Acts as the initial point of contact for disaster preparedness operations and coordinates such activities to meet the needs of a disaster or emergency situation. - Compiles and completes daily data and rosters, and inputs information into system regarding patient admissions, bed changes, transfers, and discharges. - Ensures timely and accurate input of statistics for completion of various reports. - Applies and interpret VA regulations, laws and policies. - Completes systematic reviews and other studies under the direction of the Service Line Manager. - Ensure duties required of the shift operations are carried out accurately and timely. - Reports information to the Medical Administrative Officer (MOD) in the event of a sudden death, deceased person, or suicide. - Contacts the next-of-kin for the MOD who notifies the family. - Assists the family with arrangements, including explanation of VA benefits. - Releases personal effects, etc. of deceased patients to the next-of-kin or designee. - Evaluates requests to release information and responds to inquiries following FOIA and/or Privacy Act guidelines. - Performs other related duties as assigned. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Sunday - Saturday, Around the clock coverage required. Possible shifts include: 12:00am-12:00pm, 12:00pm-12:00am, and 8:00am-8:00pm Work Schedule includes three (3) - 12 hour shifts and one (1) 8-hour shift per week. Days will vary, to include weekends, weekdays, and holidays. Work schedule will be discussed at interview; however, flexibility will be required in order to support the mission of the VA. New Employee Orientation and the initial training for the position will be Monday through Friday, First Shift. Once trained, the compressed work schedule will be implemented. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Medical Administrative Assistant/PD04118A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/24/2023. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. For a GS-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. The following is the experience to qualify for this position. Specialized Experience GS-6: Must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skill, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the duties of the position, and this is typically in or related to the work of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization (GS-5). Specialized experience is defined as: Experience in positions that required an ability to maintain continuity of functions and provide medical administrative support to clinical personnel; knowledge of VA regulations and laws governing medical benefits and release of medical information; skill in the use of automated systems such as the electronic patient record, patient registration, etc.; knowledge of common medical and psychosocial problems in patients and the resources for the resolution of problems; and skill in communication and interpersonal relations, including the ability to appropriately and courteously relate to internal and external customers. Specialized Experience GS-7: Must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skill, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization (GS-6). Specialized experience is defined as: Experience in the field of patient administration, both inpatient and outpatient, medical records and related fields of medical administration; skill in planning effectively, setting priorities, and coordinating activities; skill in oral and written communications; skill in analytical reasoning and evaluative methods and techniques; knowledge of regulations and laws governing medical benefits and the overall programs related to the health care delivery system; the Privacy Act, Freedom of Information Act; JCAHO, CARF, IG and other investigative requirements; knowledge of VA benefits and ability to determine veteran eligibility; and the ability to deal effectively with people at all levels in the organization. As a general rule, education is not creditable above a GS-5 grade level for most positions covered by this standard; however, graduate education may be credited in those few instances where the graduate education is directly related to the work of the position. TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED if qualifying based on education. Failure to provide may cause loss of consideration. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and ManagementAnalytical ReasoningInterpersonal SkillsSelf-Management Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Demands: The work will involve walking from area to area or sitting for lengths of time at the computer, answering the telephone, and transferring calls frequently. Lifts, bends, pulls stoops, moves bags, boxes and charts. May occasionally be exposed to physically and emotionally stressful situations brought about by agitated or disturbed patients. Working Environment: The work is most often performed in the Admissions office. The work exposes the incumbent to patients with various physical and behavioral disorders. The incumbent may be placed occasionally in some difficult and hostile situations requiring a great deal of tact, patience and ability to persuade others to follow given instructions. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Tomah VA Medical Center 500 East Veterans Street Tomah, WI 54660 US
• Name: Joseph Tourek
• Email: [email protected]